Kentucky and North Carolina: The Aftermath

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Everyone knew it was going to be a war down in Chapel Hill and when it was all said and done, the smoke cleared and the boys in Tar Heel blue stood tall in a game that was eerily similar to last year’s battle in Rupp Arena. The North Carolina Tar Heels downed the Kentucky Wildcats in the yearly matchup 75-73 and leaves Kentucky 11-22 all time against North Carolina and 2-5 in Chapel Hill.

I’m stunned we were in the game at the end. For us to have a chance to win the game, I was happy,” Coach John Calipari said in the post game press conference and the head coach is exactly right, Kentucky was lucky to be in the game.

Kentucky did what they could not afford to do and that is get in foul trouble. Four Kentucky Wildcats fouled out of the game and most of them for the first time this season. Terrence Jones, Josh Harrellson, Eloy Vargas and Brandon Knight all fouled out late in the second half leaving the Kentucky team searching for any sort of answer they could get.

Doron Lamb came through big though as the freshman chipped in a career high 24 points and has scored double-digits in back-to-back games. Several times when Kentucky needed a big basket they went to the freshman and even late in the game Coach Calipari isolated the freshman and let him drive to the basket and he almost got the Wildcats a huge score but a questionable no call under the basket cost Lamb the bucket, and as his last second heave fell short so did Kentucky’s chance for a win in Chapel Hill since 2002.

The game itself was just as everyone predicted. Kentucky’s backcourt played very well with Lamb, Knight and Miller leading the way and North Carolina’s front court just dominated Kentucky. Early in the game it was a dunk fest as the Carolina pivot men just dominated Kentucky on the board and in the paint and Tyler Zeller torched the Cats for 25, John Henson scored 13 and the highly touted freshman Harrison Barnes didn’t exactly break out against the Cats but he dropped 12 early first half points. These two story lines were very predictable and everyone knew the front court of Carolina would give Kentucky trouble.

What wasn’t predictable is the disappointing play of Jones. Jones went 3-17 from the field and scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds but the length of the Tar Heels post presence just gave him trouble all night.

When it’s all said and done one thing remains certain: Kentucky cannot afford to lose players due to foul trouble. Without Enes Kanter the cupboards are bare for the Wildcats in the post once the Harrellson and Vargas are in foul trouble. There is no way Kentucky can win a close game with so many players in foul trouble because of the lack of depth on the team.

Kentucky played hard the whole game though and one cannot fault their heart or guts in this one because the Cats were gritty and stingy all night. Most loose balls had three or four Wildcats on the floor tussling for the possession and it was the first time the Cats have faced a hostile crowd all year which could be a very valuable learning experience late in the season. The Cats do not have the talent to out run and out gun opponents this year, unlike last year which means this year’s young team will have to take some lumps.

So where do the Wildcats go from here? They play a much underrated Notre Dame team in the SEC/Big East Invitational, another good challenge for this young Kentucky squad.

I know it doesn’t make Kentucky fans happy with moral victories because all we want is the win at the end of the day, but Coach Calipari had this to say in closing:

“we had a chance to win on the road at North Carolina and in this environment. That made me feel good. But we got things to work on,”

Calipari should have the kinks worked out for the game in Freedom Hall against the Fighting Irish.

Here were Calipari’s opening statements:

Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari

Opening Statement from ( http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/120410aab.html)

“To have the run that they were on, and then make those free throws, and make plays down the stretch and beat us to balls and beat us the way we did, my hat’s off to them. I’m stunned we were in the game at the end.
For us to have a chance to win the game, I was happy. Obviously, you all watched the game, we were not fouling 44 [Tyler Zeller]. Do not touch him. So we kind of broke down there a little bit. But that happens with a young team. And it was 2 young teams. There were some plays made that I just shook my head. Roy said to me after, ‘Not real well played, but a good game.’ And I said, ‘Well said coach, well said.’ But we got a lot of work to do. I have a young team, we didn’t have leadership on the court. WE weren’t running into stuff. Believe me, there were a lot of things that were happening. But we had a chance to win on the road at North Carolina and in this environment. That made me feel good. But we got things to work on.

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